Harpeggia - Harp and Guitar

Harpeggia is:

Phil - Acoustic Guitar & Lea - Harp

If you would like to hear us play "Down by the Beach" from our Parallel Passage CD,                 please click here

If you would like to hear us play "Water's Edge" from our Water's Edge CD,                   please click here

As 2019 Draws to a Close...

It is the end of November and all my shows for 2019 have come and gone.  However, I couldn't leave 2019 behind without mentioning my favourite piece I have created this year.

It is called "Dogfight"

This piece is dedicated to the many pilots who fought in the First World War, those who have served as pilots in the past and those who do so today. 

The piece has been created using a 12" x 12" black tile, alcohol inks and hand cut and pierced mixed metals. The large green aircraft is the Sopwith Camel, ably flown by Biggles - the red aircraft, flown by The Red Baron. (Remember the Snoopy song?)

When I was a young girl my father gave me a book by W. E. Johns, which followed the adventures of a first world war fighter pilot by the name of James Bigglesworth (Biggles). I was hooked and continued to collect and read many more of these stories. My Father also took me to many Air Shows in our area and I became the number one fan of the RAF Formation Team (same team, different name when they changed aircraft.  Black Arrows in Hawker Hunters, Blue Diamonds in Lightnings and the Red Arrows in Foland Gnats). 

I joined the Royal Air Force myself later in life and am still thrilled to see an antique aircraft overhead.

As I look forward to Winter and the quiet of the snow surrounding the house, I have made a promise to spend a lot more time on my harps.  During the Summer months I find we are so busy with outside things and shows, they tend to be less played.  

However, I will continue to update this blog with ongoing happenings.  Have a safe winter and a very joyous holiday season.  See you all in 2020.

A Road Less Travelled...

I thought I had spent all my creativity this year on my new leather collection, which has been very well received by visitors to my booths at Art Shows this year.

Then I began to prepare for the "Before the Rush" show in Gananoque at the Fire Hall on November 1, 2, 3, 2019.  I always try to have something new and different for this particular show, as my fellow participants are all such awesome artists.

Some time ago, I had experimented with alcohol ink and cut and pierced metal as landscape scenes on tiles.  I have recently returned to this idea with a different way of manipulating the ink - using air!!!

Here are some photos of the first few pieces I have completed and I have so many other ideas, but not sure I will complete all of them "Before the Rush".

Monarch Butterfly (cut and pierced in Brass)

Monarch Butterfly in Frame

Colour Splash

Doodles

The Rainbow Fleet

Flying Home

Dragonflies Playing on the River

Meet Ana...

Back in 2017, I posted the story of my venture into double strung harps and how we rescued "Marion" and found little "Eve".  That meant that our harp family had grown to five - plenty of harps to play here!!!  I am enjoying the challenge of the double strung and Marion has settled very well after, my husband, Phil's reno.


Well, it happened again.  Phil, (The Finder, I call him) said he had found a harp and we had to buy it.  I resisted, really I did, for a while and in the end I gave in, so off he went to collect it.

I really wasn't sure what would be returning with him - another rescue attempt, maybe?

I was stunned when he brought her in and took off her cover - absolutely stunning!  Ana (from the Salvi Company) is a beautiful 30 year old, lever harp in black and had been with the same owner from new.  The only wear on her was down the edges where the black paint had worn off through lots of playing - can't fault that!  The levers are awesome and the tone is excellent.

You must have done the math by now - yep, I am up to six, but then who is counting.  Right?

May I present to you - Ana.  All my other harps have made her feel very welcome.

The saga continues!

Photos as Promised

Here are the photos of the two new pieces I have just completed.

The first one is called "Butterflies Come Dancing".  This set includes pendant, cuff bracelet and earrings.  All pieces have been cut from Veg Tan Leather, tooled, dyed and put together with a pierced and cut metal centrepiece.

This next piece has been inspired by one of my favourite poems by Joyce Rupp. The blue feather is cut into the leather and just lifted at the edges, leaving it still as part of the base leather. The little bird is hand cut from brass and polished. Oak leaves are tooled into the leather and dyed.

"The Blue Feather"

A small soft feather, still warm from Bluebird’s wing,
Falls onto the receptive forest floor.

Lightly it lands under a thick branched oak
Quietly it waits, unnoticed, unattended.

Until a sister of earth pauses,
Beckoned by a flutter of unseen energy.

She bows her kindled heart, stoops ever so slowly
And the remnant of the bluebird comes home to her generous hand.

Days later, another earth sister opens an envelope.
Resting inside, waiting, is the blue of sky in the shape of a feather.
From warm wing, to great oak, to earth sister, to friend
Comes the soft blue signal.

And in a sparkle of recognition a woman, weighed down
With too many worries remembers how to fly.

There will be more inspiration as Spring comes along, so watch this space!

A New Year - A New Collection!

A new year - a new collection!  This is the question I ask myself every year.  Last year I really enjoyed the challenge I set myself in metal work and wire weaving and so wanted to continue to expand on the metal theme.  But my creative spirit was not with me during January 2019.

I am happy to say that February brought inspiration - leather!!  I did not have any experience with leather work and so it seemed logical to put metal and leather together.  This means that I can continue with the metal work and use the leather as a decorative base.

Luckily, I found a leather supply shop about an hour away and my husband and I took a trip.  Wow!!  So much stuff in this store.  The staff were extremely helpful when I told them I had never done any leather work before and helped me pick out some leather and basic tools.








My first attempt was a cuff bracelet with a cut and pierced metal piece called "Hello, Mr. Rabbit".  Which I decided to keep for myself.

Then I did some wire weaving around a piece of Turquoise, cut, tooled, dyed the leather and added some leather cord.

I found I really enjoyed working with the leather, of course, this meant more tools, more dyes etc., etc., etc.

Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting with some new water based dyes which I really like.  The colours are so vibrant and set off the metal beautifully.









One of the designs I really like is the Celtic Knot and wanted to experiment to see if I could fit one of these onto a leather cuff.  I decided to find and learn a new wire weave for this piece and it turned out really well.



I then decided I would like to try a pendant set consisting of necklace, earrings and cuff bracelet.  I wanted to create something very different and I must admit, it has been a struggle knowing which part of the process to do before another, so that it would all fit together.  The beginner learning curve, I guess.  But, I am learning lots of new things.  The pendant set is called "Butterflies Come Dancing" and as soon as it is finished I will post a photo.